NCAA Tournament 2013 East Region — Day 2

The NCAA Tournament moves onto its second day of wall-to-wall games on Friday. The East Region’s slate features a pair of very serious title contenders determined to prove they’re on a mission.

Temple took care of North Carolina State in a #8-#9 game, while Miami came out with guns blazing against Pacific in a blowout win. Indiana took care of business against James Madison, while Illinois stopped a Colorado team that couldn't overcome stretches of cold shooting.

(9) Temple 76, (8) North Carolina State 72

Down by as many as 18 with about 17 minutes to go and 11 with a little more than four minutes to go, the Wolfpack came storming back, but couldn’t get any closer than two points as Temple, which struggled from the free throw line all day, hit key foul shots down the stretch to seal the win. Khalif Wyatt scored 31 points and Temple, which was outrebounded 34-22, committed only five turnovers to fuel the victory. The Wolfpack, which hit 55% of its shots, were paced by Lorenzo Brown’s 22 points and C.J. Leslie’s 20.

(2) Miami (FL) 78, (15) Pacific 49

The Hurricanes looked every bit the Final Four team many people think they are. Pacific had no answer for Miami’s half-court set and the Hurricanes hit 3s early and often to put this one out of reach before halftime. The Tigers endured a seven-minute scoring drought in the first half, which spells doom when you’re trying to take down the #2 seed. The Hurricanes put their foot down from the get-go and never looked back en route to victory. Miami hit 12 treys, including five by Durand Scott, who led all scorers with 21 points. Pacific, which only hit 33% of its shots, was paced by Travis Fulton’s 18 points.

(1) Indiana 83, (16) James Madison 62

James Madison may have played their way into the field of 64, but Indiana played them right out. The Hoosiers jumped out to a 9-0 lead and the Dukes never recovered. IU’s high-powered offense featured a well-balanced attack, with Yogi Ferrell scoring 16 points and Will Sheehey contributing 15 off the bench. Indiana also dominated on the free throw line, with a 16-2 advantage in points scored from the charity stripe. Andre Nation scored a career-high 24 points in defeat for JMU.

(7) Illinois 57, (10) Colorado 49

Illinois dominated the first 20 minutes, but Colorado came out with guns blazing after intermission to wipe out a 16-point halftime deficit and build a five-point lead while the Illini went ice cold from the floor, not hitting a shot over the course of the first 11 minutes of the half. Illinois took the Buffaloes’ best punch, though, and went on a 18-8 run to end the game. Colorado, which didn’t score in the last seven minutes of the first half, also went more than five-and-a-half minutes without a point late in the game. Neither team was efficient offensively – the Illini only made 31% of its shots, while the Buffaloes hit 33%. Brandon Paul scored 17 points, including nine of 10 from the free throw line, to lead Illinois, while Askia Booker (14 points) was the only player in double figures for Colorado.